First comes love, then marriage, then ...
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot Saturday, the world will be watching.
And there will be questions. Oh, so many questions.
Where will they live, and what will their new jobs be in the royal firm? How long will it take for Duchess Meghan to become a British citizen, not to mention accustom herself to driving on the other side of the road? Will she be able to stay above politics, as is the royal rule?
“There are three legs of the stool for royals: Their official duties on behalf of the queen, their philanthropic activities and their family life,” says Sally Bedell Smith, the American royal biographer. “For Harry, family life has always been
the missing leg of the stool. Now they will have that.”
Let’s take a look at what might be in store for the new royal star couple:
Meet the new Fab Four
That’s the new moniker for Will and Kate and Harry and Meghan, the leading members of their generation of young royals. Smith says William and Harry have been a team since childhood, unlike their father and his siblings. “Prince Charles and his (three siblings) always worked in separate silos, as it were, so when Kate joined the family, they became a trio, and now they’ll be the Fab Four, as the tabloids call them,” Smith says. “They are going to do a lot of things together.”
Royal philanthropists
The modern raison d’etre for royals is to prove their worth through philanthropy and public service. In Markle, Harry has found the perfect mate for a life of humanitarian work; she was an active campaigner for good causes long before she met Harry in summer 2016. “She’s walked the walk for years,” says Leslie Carroll, author of American Princess: The Love Story of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. “She’s built wells in Rwanda, she’s been an ambassador for women, she went to India to advocate for separate bathrooms and sanitary pads for teen girls. ... This is all stuff she was raised to do.”
When do babies arrive?
Too soon for bassinet talk? We know Harry, 33, is a baby whisperer who’s good with kids and they love him. There are countless pictures of him playing with children he has befriended through Sentebale, the African charity he helped found. Yes, his bride will be 37 on Aug. 4, but pregnancy is no longer just for young women.
The ‘American’ royal couple
There’s the X factor: How much time will they spend in the USA?
“This is pure guessing, but Harry loves America; he’s had adventures here. So I wouldn’t be surprised if they spend some amount of time in California,” Smith says. “Her mother is there, her father is close, she has friends there. She’s a California girl.”